Thursday, December 18, 2008

Our baby has arrived!

Hi Everyone,

Just as an update I am home from the hospital and I am trying to get back to normal after the birth of our son. Baby John, IV was born on December 10, 2008 measuring 21" long, and weighing in at a whopping 8lbs. 12oz., which was in vast contrast to Isabella's birth weight of 7lbs. 5oz. 2 years ago. Everything went perfectly and we now have a beautiful baby boy in our family. Isabella is doing her best to be a great big sister and so far she has been wonderful (a little jealous, but wonderful). Thanks to all of you who sent messages and left comments of well wishes for our family. Please know that we appreciate each and every one of you!

Later on this evening I will be posting the winner of the monthly FREE GIFT drawing so you'll want to check back to see what wonderful prize we have given away this month. Also, this week I will be posting pictures of some new items that I created before I went in the hospital to deliver our bundle of joy. I have so many new and unique ideas floating in my head (maybe it's just the medicine), and mounds of wonderful material to use for their creation. I can't wait to offer these items to you in my store!

Lastly, we are already mid month and I will be introducing some new guest jewelers for the 2nd half of December and also preparing you for January's featured Guest Jewelers. If you are a creator of handmade products and you are interested in being a featured artist on my site please contact me and we'll get you started ASAP!

Stay tuned....

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

NEW HOLIDAY BABY!

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I just wanted to keep everyone updated on what will be happening with me this week. I will sort of be on "vacation" from answering E-mails and making jewelry for the next few days. We are having a new baby, and we are expecting him to be a boy (so he better be cooperative and not come out with a pee-pee rather than a wee-wee!) He will be born on December 10th via scheduled C-Section, and his name will be John P D'Agostino, IV after his daddy. We are praying for a healthy baby and a safe delivery so please keep us in your prayers.

Luckily, I have gotten all of my orders for the holidays filled and shipped up to this time. If you need anything, please contact me before 10PM EST on December 9th. I will return home from the hospital on December 14th and answer any E-mails, and address any orders that I have at that time. Also, the computer software will randomly draw a name selecting December's FREE GIFT winner. That will be posted the week that I return home, but perhaps not exactly on the 15th when I usually post it, as it all depends on how I feel. If you would like to register to win a FREE GIFT from Isabella's Beads, please click here and register your E-mail address with us. Registration is free and we have a lot of wonderful and unique gifts to give away each month from Gift Certificates to Handmade Jewelry.

More new items will be posted when I return home, but for now the only new addition I will be concentrating on will be our new son, Johnny! I hope everyone has a wonderful week and I look forward to reporting great news in the next week.

Ciao!

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Here are a few new items that I have posted in the store. They are novelty watches featuring a glittering Santa or a Christmas tree for the holidays, and you can find them in the Holiday Collections section.



There is also one new addition to the Necklaces category. I have been busy with themed jewelry for the holidays so I haven't made any glass bead necklaces in the past week, and I still have at least 10 one-of-a-kind beads left to use. I don't have a favorite because they are all so very beautiful and believe me when I tell you that the pictures NEVER do them justice. This necklace is made with a deep ocean blue electroform bead handmade by Lisa Atchison. The leaf is hand picked from her backyard. This handmade pendant is gently suspended from a copper bail, which hangs on hand-dyed silk ribbon from Jamn Glass. With this pendant I did something just a bit different and made Swarovski crystal components in complimentary colors and dangled them from the base of the bead for added sparkle! As usual with the silk ribbon necklaces, the copper coil closure allows for an adjustable length before tying closed.







Are you looking for stocking stuffers? Check out our "Great Gifts" section of the store where you can search our inventory by price. We have a ton of great gifts that would make perfect stocking stuffers for under $25, and many wonderful and unique gifts under $10 from hair jewelry, to macramé bracelets, to brocade satin lipstick cases.




Here's an original idea...every woman could use a Purse Hanger. You don't think about it until you actually have one. You never have to go to a restaurant and place your bag on the chair or on the floor, when you go to the casino and sit at the blackjack or poker table you can conveniently hang your purse close to you. They are available in 8 great styles! Select yours from the drop down menu when making your purchase.
We also carry Phone Finders. Keep your phone handy - just hook it to a "Finders for Fones" for a functional and fashionable way to decorate your purse. And we carry Key Finders so that you never have to dig in the bottom of your purse for your keys again! These unique gifts come in a variety of styles, more than 60 styles from which you can choose. Just visit our Cell Phone Accessories category or click on the photo below.



Meet Beary Spoiled Bear. These adorable "Kritters" can be used as either purse charms or key chains. There are 12 from which to choose and each has its own personality. Please see each one to make sure you select the Kritter that best suits your personality! You can find these in our Purse Charm section of the store.



How about gifts for your Children's schoolteachers? These handmade beaded bookmarkers will be one of the best gifts they ever receive. There aren't many listed in the store right now because the pictures are not very good, and many are already sold so I have to make more and then re-photograph them. However, all of them are custom made and I can do anything that you like in any color. The Millefiori bookmarkers to the right are customizable with over 10 different styles of Millefiori beads. Choose your favorite from the drop down menu when ordering.


If you'd like something custom made using other materials, please E-mail me for inquiries.

Monday, December 1, 2008

New Merchandise and Money Making Opportunities

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Hi Everyone...

Let me start by saying that I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! We spent ours in our "new", 2nd home in Connecticut and we ate with my fiancee's family. It was very nice although I didn't eat very much. We are having our 2nd child on December 10th and he is giving me some serious heartburn! Oh well, it'll all be worth it in the end, which is unbelievably only 9 days away.

Now for the introduction of my newest section of the store, Gift Cards! If you aren't sure what to get that special someone, but you know you want it handmade you can now conveniently purchase gift cards from Isabella's Beads. Click on the Gift Card and select your desired increment from the drop down menu and click "Add to Cart". It's that easy! Add multiple cards for various gifts. Our gift cards can be used to purchase any items in the store. There are no restrictions.

Please don't forget to check out the Holiday Items section of Isabella's Beads for new themed jewelry and holiday gift presentation items such as our Wine gift bags which are available in 5 vibrant colors for only $2.50 each!

In my last blog I mentioned the addition of the Guest Jewelers Section. That section is now complete and all of the items have been added for December's featured artists. Janice Kuhm, Rachael Swiss, and Sophia Waddell are the first artists to be featured for this month. The response has been overwhelming and I have several new artists already lined up for January. I think that this is going to be a wonderful experience for all who are involved.

If you are an artist of handmade jewelry or ANY handmade items, and you would like to be featured in my Blog, monthly Newsletter, and in the Guest Jewelers Section of my store please E-mail me and I'll tell you how you can get started immediately! Keep in mind that only registered users of Isabella's Beads will receive our exclusive Newsletters, so if you would like to be on that list please Register Here for free to become a member.

Money Making Opportunities:


If you are interested in selling some of my items on your own site, and you would like to be a wholesale customer with Isabella's Beads please Register Here. Certain restrictions apply.

If you are interested in earning money as an Affiliate of Isabella's Beads you can register for an Affiliate Account here. It is helpful to have a web site of course, but it is definitely not necessary, as each affiliate has their own unique bonus code.

Each of these opportunities is absolutely FREE and takes only a few minutes of your time. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me! Have a good week :)

About Me

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Started as a hobby, Isabella's Beads is owned and operated by me, Mariealena Calabrese. After realizing that beading was more of a passion rather than just a hobby, I wanted to share my creations with everyone. I recently gave birth to my first child, my daughter Isabella Rose. I started Isabella's Beads with the hope that when she grows older she will have a successful, reputable business for herself. One thing I pride myself on is the fact that I am committed to outstanding customer service. 100% satisfaction is guaranteed! I hope you enjoy your jewelry as much as I enjoy making it.